Thursday, July 19, 2007

Almost all ZIMBABWE'S wildlife was slaughtered since 2001

ZIMBABWE'S wildlife, once a major tourist attraction, has been almost totally decimated since the start of the government-sanctioned land invasions seven years ago.

In its latest game count, the Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force has found that more than 90% of animals on private game ranches and between 35% and 100% of wildlife in conservancies have been killed since 2001.

Every year, game farms compare wildlife populations prior to, and during the land invasions, list the latest known populations, the number of snares recovered and 'the length of fencing stolen, mostly to make snares.

It has become more and more difficult to collate statistics because many farmers have left the country Of the 62 farms studied, 59 reported wildlife losses totalling 42 236